Does Anyone Play The Baroque Flute?, Repertoire Options

[all ears]

There seem to have been a lot of different key systems in actual use in the 19th century, and I think Australian makers like McGee offer pretty much whatever keys you want.

I ended up selling my odd keyed wooden flute (fool! fool!) because it wasn't anything near 440 pitch, and I couldn't play it with anybody else - see if your daughter can figure out if it's concer tpitch (440) or not, because if it is 435-440, it's probably Irish 19th century~modern, whereas 415 is likely to be older.

But I'd put my money on newer, because keyed wooden flutes do tend to split more easily than keyless flutes if neglected.

How is your daughter looking after it, by the way? (How does she oil it, for example, and is she careful not to play it too long at first, if it's been left to dry out for a while?)

I love my keyless wooden Irish flute, but I'm having major baroque envy here!

[notmusimum]

There seem to have been a lot of different key systems in actual use in the 19th century, and I think Australian makers like McGee offer pretty much whatever keys you want.

I ended up selling my odd keyed wooden flute (fool! fool!) because it wasn't anything near 440 pitch, and I couldn't play it with anybody else - see if your daughter can figure out if it's concer tpitch (440) or not, because if it is 435-440, it's probably Irish 19th century~modern, whereas 415 is likely to be older.

But I'd put my money on newer, because keyed wooden flutes do tend to split more easily than keyless flutes if neglected.

How is your daughter looking after it, by the way? (How does she oil it, for example, and is she careful not to play it too long at first, if it's been left to dry out for a while?)

I love my keyless wooden Irish flute, but I'm having major baroque envy here!

It was bought new so I suspect it is an Irish flute. She doesn't play it much, the intention was to play it in the Irish folk Group but ended up on Mandolin instead. The middle section is the only unlined wodden bit (I think) . It's not had much playing and hasn't been oiled. She might have more time for it if she stopped running off doing everything else.

Sorry for the mini hijack of the thread. I am interested in Baroque Flutes and I'm sure my daughter would love the Aulos, maybe when she gets more time.

[Alicia Ocean]

Woo (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) - super fast delivery! it arrived this morning - & oh my (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

It's had an hour's practice now. It was very hard to get a low note out at first. Then when I'd got the hang of that I found I'd lost the ability to play high notes. It seems to be quite well in tune with itself in that the note which needs adjusting by embouchure is F - and it says that on the instructions.

The biggest difference is that it does not have equal temperament - it has Just Temperament - which means that a A# is not the same as a Bb and has different fingerings. I've lots of new fingereings to learn. It has a lovely sound - quite mellow. I don't know that it would be possible to play it loudly.

So far it's tried Handel and Telemann and the nice suprise is that this music really was written for this flute - there are loads of places where the fingering is now simple compared with the Boehm - e.g B to C# - since the're no hole at the back. Also it's really much easier to tongue than to slur.

The conical bore? Well quite the opposite to what I expected - It's wider at the top and narrows towards the bottom. My regular flute mop is too fat for everything below the headjoint, but my oboe mop fits the rest nicely.

The downside is that it just doesn't look like £300 worth (to the rest of my family).

[notmusimum]

Woo (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) - super fast delivery! it arrived this morning - & oh my (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

It's had an hour's practice now. It was very hard to get a low note out at first. Then when I'd got the hang of that I found I'd lost the ability to play high notes. It seems to be quite well in tune with itself in that the note which needs adjusting by embouchure is F - and it says that on the instructions.

The biggest difference is that it does not have equal temperament - it has Just Temperament - which means that a A# is not the same as a Bb and has different fingerings. I've lots of new fingereings to learn. It has a lovely sound - quite mellow. I don't know that it would be possible to play it loudly.

So far it's tried Handel and Telemann and the nice suprise is that this music really was written for this flute - there are loads of places where the fingering is now simple compared with the Boehm - e.g B to C# - since the're no hole at the back. Also it's really much easier to tongue than to slur.

The conical bore? Well quite the opposite to what I expected - It's wider at the top and narrows towards the bottom. My regular flute mop is too fat for everything below the headjoint, but my oboe mop fits the rest nicely.

The downside is that it just doesn't look like £300 worth (to the rest of my family).

Glad you are really enjoying it! don't think madam will be getting one this birthday (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[flutecake]

May I revive this thread and ask how you are doing on the flute?
They are very tempting, but you are right about the not looking like 300 pounds worth.

[Alicia Ocean]

My Baroque Flute is still my best friend & I'm still giving it an hour a day. I'm currently working on Handel's Sonata in G.

I sent a recording of my Telemann Fantasia in D to a flute-playing friend and she thought it was me SINGING!! It's got such a human timbre.

The problem with the price, I think, is the material it's made from. I'd think ?‚£300 a snip for a metal flute. In fact I would think it a beginner model and wouldn't want one that cheap. But, given that the wooden Baroque flutes start at ?‚£700(? or so?) and these need faffing with (drying? oiling?) and aren't necessarily going to sound as good as the plastic one then the Aulos is great value.

If Baroque Flute playing becomes really popular then the price will fall and I'll be sorry I paid so much. But that might not happen and I'm glad I didn't wait.

[RoseRodent]

Resurrect a supremely old thread time! I was looking at the baroque flutes for a friend of mine who plays recorder and flute and thought it would be an excellent next step for him. We looked on Youtube and elsewhere to see if we could get any sound samples of the baroque flute, alas nothing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Has anyone made a wee vid we could have a look at?

Thanks.

[Bagpuss]

Dunno about Youtube/videos but any audio by Rachel Brown would be worth a punt.

Bx

[ellie_the_little_elephant]

My flute teacher does; he is part of this ensemble and they have some audio on their website:
http://www.consort1700.co.uk/

[RoseRodent]

I realise I have accidentally read the thread one way because of the way I searched for it. I am looking for sound sample specifically from the Aulos baroque flutes that feature heavily in this thread, not any other type of baroque flute. Sorry for the confusion!

[Alicia Ocean]

I realise I have accidentally read the thread one way because of the way I searched for it. I am looking for sound sample specifically from the Aulos baroque flutes that feature heavily in this thread, not any other type of baroque flute. Sorry for the confusion!

I'll try to organise a recording and post it somewhere accessible. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Alicia Ocean]

I've just noticed there's been a bit of inflation since I bought mine - they're now 425 pounds on JustFlutes (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)